Skip to content

Parametric Theme Generator

The parametric generator creates custom CoolNight theme variants from a hue angle, hex color, or preset name. Use it to create a theme that matches your exact color preference.

How It Works

The generator derives a complete CoolNight color palette from a single input:

  • Hue angle (0–360) - Position on the color wheel
  • Hex color (#rrggbb) - The hue is extracted from the hex value
  • Preset name - A named preset maps to a specific hue

All syntax colors, UI colors, and semantic roles are derived from that base hue using mathematically consistent relationships. Every generated theme maintains the same readability and contrast characteristics as the built-in CoolNight variants.

Usage

nvp theme create --from <value> --name <name> [--use]

By Hue Angle

# Create by hue (0-360 degrees)
nvp theme create --from "210" --name my-blue-theme
nvp theme create --from "350" --name my-rose-theme
nvp theme create --from "120" --name my-green-theme
nvp theme create --from "280" --name my-purple-theme

# Create and activate immediately
nvp theme create --from "210" --name my-blue-theme --use

By Hex Color

The hue is extracted from the hex color automatically:

nvp theme create --from "#8B00FF" --name my-violet-theme
nvp theme create --from "#0a7fa8" --name my-teal-theme
nvp theme create --from "#e05c00" --name my-orange-theme

By Preset Name

nvp theme create --from "synthwave" --name my-synth
nvp theme create --from "ocean" --name ocean-custom
nvp theme create --from "forest" --name my-forest

Hue Reference

Hue Range Color Family Example Themes
0°–30° Red to Orange crimson, ember, sunset
30°–90° Orange to Yellow gold, warm yellows
90°–150° Yellow to Green forest, matrix, mint
150°–210° Green to Blue teal, arctic, ocean
210°–270° Blue to Purple midnight, violet
270°–330° Purple to Pink synthwave, grape, sakura
330°–360° Pink to Red rose, back to crimson

Examples by Target Color

# Teal
nvp theme create --from "165" --name coolnight-teal

# Lime green
nvp theme create --from "75" --name coolnight-lime

# Hot magenta
nvp theme create --from "315" --name coolnight-magenta

# Custom purple from hex
nvp theme create --from "#8B00FF" --name coolnight-violet

Flags

Flag Required Description
--from <value> Yes Base: hue angle (0–360), hex color (#rrggbb), or preset name
--name <name> Yes Name for the generated theme
--use No Set the new theme as active after creation

After Creating a Theme

# View the generated theme
nvp theme get my-blue-theme -o yaml

# Use it
nvp theme use my-blue-theme

# Generate Lua files
nvp generate

Generated Themes vs Library Themes

Aspect Generated Theme Library Theme
Location ~/.nvp/themes/ Embedded in binary
Editable Yes No (read-only)
Access After creation Immediate
Overrides library Yes, if same name —

Color Palette Structure

Every generated theme uses this semantic mapping:

Semantic Role Derived From
accent Primary hue
Syntax colors Hue variations (±30°, ±60°)
UI colors Desaturated primary hue
error Red (~0°) regardless of theme
warning Yellow (~45°) regardless of theme

This ensures consistent readability and meaning across all generated variants.

Troubleshooting

Custom variant not applied

# Verify the theme was created
nvp theme list | grep my-blue-theme

# Check theme details
nvp theme get my-blue-theme -o yaml

# Regenerate Lua files
nvp generate

Colors don't look right

# Verify true color support
echo $COLORTERM   # Should print: truecolor

# Preview in terminal before applying
nvp theme preview my-blue-theme

Next Steps